RC Sermon 1

Summary:

In this first lesson, you'll share about the need for salvation with your group—based around the words “but God” in Ephesians 2:1-10 (HCSB). It is an evangelism message, so you are encouraged to give students a chance to respond at the end of the message.

Outline:

• Salvation is needed (v. 1-3) • Salvation is available (v. 4) • Salvation has a purpose (v. 6-7)

How far can you jump flat-footed?

[Allow time for responses … surely you will have some students who will swear they can jump to the moon.]

Imagine a river half a mile wide. When you look at the bank of that river, you see a very diverse group of people. Each one of those people has the same goal: to make it to the other side of the river. The older people try to jump and do not get very far. The younger adults try and make it a little farther, but still fail to make it to the other side. The younger people and the athletes try it, as well. They make it farther than anyone else, but they still fail to make it to the other side.

As humans, none of us are good enough to make it to the other side. We all sin; we all fall short. Therefore, none of us will make it to heaven on our own. We need some help. Thankfully, God offers that help to us.

Describe a time you needed help with something ... something that you could not have done alone.

Ephesians 2:1–10 NKJV

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

BEFORE Christ.

dead, trespasses, sins, disobedient, fleshly desires, and wrath. Use this time to help students understand just how bad we were. We had no hope. We had no potential of ever having a right relationship with God. We could not do anything to change or improve our situation.

Share a time when you were really sick? Did you get better?

When we are sick, we almost always have a chance to get better. That’s not how we were before Christ. We were DEAD, which means that we had no hope of getting any better. There is nothing we can do to change our situation … that’s why we need Jesus!

Tonight, we will be starting this series by talking about salvation. We will be discussing three different aspects of salvation that I hope will help us in our everyday lives.

1. Salvation is needed (v.1-3, HCSB).

[Get a student to read verses 1-3 again.]

What do you think the word "trespasses" means?

To "trespass" is to slip, to fall, to stumble, or to go in the other direction. That’s why we need salvation. These verses show us that we are constantly going to slip up, we are constantly going to fall, we are constantly going to stumble, and we are constantly going to go in a different direction than God wants.

That’s what sin does to us. . We are all going to sin, we are all going to mess up, we are all going to stumble, and we are all going to slip up from time to time. That’s why everyone on earth needs salvation!

BUT YOU MAY SAY IM A GOOD PERSON- ARE YOU A SINNER?

HAVE YOU EVER LIED

CHEATED

GOSSIPPED

STOLEN

USED GOD’S NAME IN VAIN

LUSTED (IN THOUGHTS)

ALWAYS HONOR YOUR PARENTS?

YES SO YOU ARE A BLASPHEMER, AN ADULTERER, A LIAR, A THIEF, A CHEATER AND DISHONORBLE SINNER

It would be pretty rough if those verses ended right at that moment. Paul tells us how bad off we really are. He says that we are dead in our sin …we are dead in our trespasses … we are disobedient … BUT God, who is abundant in love, makes salvation available.

BUT GOD

YOU SEE GOD IS HOLY, ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF HIS GLORY BUT THROUGH HIS GREAT LOVE HE SENT HIS SON JESUS CHRIST TO BECOME OUR SINS!

2. Salvation is available (v. 4, HCSB)

[Insert a story here of a time where you needed something but could not get it. Maybe ask the students to share a similar story. (e.g., locked keys in car)]

Think back to just a moment ago when all of you failed to hit the target in the activity. Here in verse 4, it’s like God is saying, “You are going to mess up, you are going to sin, you are going to slip up, and you are constantly going to miss the mark. BUT now, I am going to help you hit the mark!”

What is your favorite kind of donut? Why is it your favorite?

Krispy Kreme, the largest donut chain in the world, has one thing that sets them apart from the rest of the pack. Any idea what it is? [Some students might know right off that it’s the “Hot & Now” sign.]

At that moment, when you drive by Krispy Kreme and the red “Hot & Now” sign is on, hot, fresh donuts are available to you.

But what must you do to get them? [Allow students to share. You really want them to point out the fact that they must do their part (drive in, order, pay, etc.)]

It would be amazing if you just drove by Krispy Kreme, and the donuts appeared in your car. But donuts will not just appear in your car. We must do our part if we really want those donuts.

Salvation is similar. It’s available and it’s needed by everyone, but we must do our part to make it happen. It’s not just going to happen on its own!

So, what is “our part” when it comes to salvation?

RELATIONSHIP!!!! WITH JESUS CHRIST, NOT JUST INTELLECTUAL BELIEF BUT HEART BELIEF! REPENTANCE

“BUT GOD” changed everything for us. We were hopeless, we stumbled, we were disobedient, we fell short …none of us could make it on our own. BUT GOD sent His son and made salvation available to us!

So salvation is needed, salvation is available, and lastly, salvation has a purpose.

3. Salvation has a purpose (v. 6-7, HCSB)

What is the purpose of the different positions on a sports team? Soccer goalie, catcher in baseball, QB in football, etc.

Each of them serves a purpose on the field. They each have a job to do that is vital for the success as a team. Just like every sports position has a purpose, salvation has a purpose, as well.

What is the purpose of salvation?

So think about the awesomeness that is said in these verses: we were dead in sin, and now Jesus wants to make us alive through salvation.

What do you know about heaven? [Allow time for answers.]

Now, is that somewhere you would want to go? That only comes through salvation. That only comes through giving your heart to Jesus and living for Him every day.

We are sinful people who need salvation. Jesus made it available to us by His death, and salvation has a purpose: for all of us to live with Him in heaven one day.

ONLY ONE WAY- JESUS CHRIST, NOT ALL WILL ENTER IN!

TOMORROW NIGHT WE WILL LOOK AT ARE WE TRULY SAVED AND WE WILL TEST THIS AGAINST SCRIPTURE, NOT WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD BY OTHERS, NOT WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW BUT BY WHAT GOD SAYS- YOU SEE WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP TEST!